Battery Powered Busking Amp Shootout
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2018
- Skip to playing - 2:05
Adam takes four battery powered acoustic amplifiers out on location to see how each amp compares in a busking scenario.
Filmed on Location at 'The Rocking Stones' in Pontypridd.
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I really appreciate the neutral 5:36 side by side comparison. As well your reticence to weigh in and let the listener form their own opinion. Well done , straightforward and necessary
Best review on busking amps. Good work guys and thanks for it 👍
That was an excellent shootout. Thank you!!
Adam thanks a million, a great video and our ears thnak you for that. Cheers
Excellent review. I like the Cube EX!
I agree. I thought the guitar sounded far more balanced frequency wise. The vocals all sounded muddy to me.
I have the regular street cube, I've learned to just be happy and content until I can afford the other bigger more expensive models one day.
I have the cube ex. The regular cube street has such a strong forward tone. I never got over it. The ex is fun. But All I wanted was a louder version of the Cube Street. It was hard to dial that in. I am content, but the cube street has its own tone that made my busking stick.
Look on my channel. Angeles cover. Thats my cube street. I still cannot get that tone with the EX.
@@blindboymusic8262 Have you thought about using the regular cube for your vocals and the ex for guitar? That'll give you a bit more headroom to make your voice louder with the smaller amp and keep that strong midrange.
@@pseudonymlifts2 I travel light. Plus managing alternting batteries would not be worth the distinct tone. The ex is very good on its own. Not too loud or too quiet.
Thanks for putting links to each amp.
I knew I liked the Fishman! Also, nice cover :)
Good demo. I appreciate your sentence "you get what you pay for". It's the truth.
Time to repeat this and add the Orange Crush Acoustic 30 and Fender Acoustic Junior GO. Great video, very helpful.
Ordered the cube ex and a set of MOD speakers yesterday . Played a party in Sac last weekend with my Cube street and realized I needed a bigger amp . Seems alot of people change out the speakers on this amp . Im cool with that because i like the convenience of its size, weight, I/o 's, and battery setup . With the speaker upgrade the buzz is it takes it to another level . We'll see .
this sold me on the fishman 😍
From Distance you looks like younger version of Ricky Gervais with tattoos :) Great content btw!
did a loong research on this and got the loudbox mini and it is everything i hoped for! i sing and play guitar thats it and no backing tracks! ive also used it as a monitor on stage and livestreaming as well and it handles everything ! 60w nice warm sounding amp! the battery support is 10 hours ,but at full blast its about half.nice thing is you can charge it as you use it witch is not possible with most batt amps.
My most favorite is the smaller Roland Cubestreet. Have used this model for years and would buy it again if something happened to it. Pro's.......it's light, easy to use, runs on 6 double A batteries that you can buy anywhere when you're on the road, voice & guitar sounds pretty good thru it ........and again .....a point not to be overlooked....it's very LIGHT ! Personally.....I like to travel as light as possible .... when busking .....or for any other music venue for that matter. Let's face it , many busking venues/area's may not allow and/or frown upon amplification. Bottom line........decide what's best for you and how you're going to use it.
Very interesting video, thanks
I think the Roland's have an intagrated compression system. I dig that despite them having lack of bass.
Acus was a clear Winner for me!
Very interesting review. Theee years later after original posting is my first time watching this video. I’ve been wanting the cube street ex but on this video at least, the Fishman sounds the best to me. The street seems way underpowered
very good comparison.
At last a decent review, I’m torn between the Fishman and the cube ex. I have a Roland Street and I don’t like it. Well done again.
I agree it is impossible to make a conclusion from a UA-cam video (at least make sure you are listening in 1080p minimum) 1080p is a video standard but it sets the "speed" for the audio also. The Fishman mini was out a full year based on the video date. I match my Martin D16E to a Fishman mini. Not possible to be disappointed.
Thanks for the review mate. What about the mackie freeplay live ?
Love my boss cube street 2. Bluetooth $49, looper, nice vocal harmonies, long battery life. Plenty loud for my needs.
Both Rolands your voice came through but none are worth what they cost because a cheap Behringer battery (mpa40 and a $100 foot pedal sound just as good if not better.I have searched high and low for a good acoustic amp but haven't found one. I think a tube preamp helps a lot. Good review, thanks
I've owned for 11 years a Crate "Limo" TX-50D, but it crapped out on me last gig. I don't own any of these, nor have I played through them myself. Of these, the one that sounded best to me was the Loudbox Mini Charge. It was clear, yet warm, quite natural sounding.
Those crates are great. It’s most likely the battery that crapped out on you. You can get a replacement one easy and cheap. I hope u didn’t throw it out.
I have a crate Taxi. It also 'crapped out' after many years of use. Bought a new 12v rechargeable battery for $20. Now it's as good as new.
Note that most of these busking amps are quite pricey ; so you need to do a lot of busking before you pay it off!
To my ears the Fishman and Acus were both clean and clear....the two Cube amps sounded muddy 😎
I used to use the Roland cube and can definitely say that is accurate hahaha
Agreed.
Great unbiased review. To my old ears, the EX sounds the best, more depth and volume.
So helpful thank you!!
dude, thanks for this really helpful Video! now everybody has to consider which weight he wants to carry...
I have had 3 fishman products 2 mini and 1 artist all had issues with hissing crackling. Got the cube ex love it
A plus for the cube street EX is that you can easily pop in some AA batteries that can be bought anywhere in the world if you do run out of battery power. Certainly the loudbox mini will last a long time with just a charge but there is a possibility that you might have forgotten to charge up your amplifier. And there’s no way to change the batteries out.
And those batteries aren't always cheap. Stores in different locations run out and you can waste time searching for them. Or pay a higher price for branded batteries.
Id want to know if the way the fishman charges is with a USB charge cable. If thats the case, then you could also run it from a USB lithium battery pack. Since the advent of mobile phones that need 2amps of charge, Higher capability battery packs are made now, which is great for this use.
Interesting to see a review without opinion. Most are watching on a handheld device and it is difficult to hear which has better bass for example. Something to consider. Thanks
they all sound good apart from the one i was thinking of buying which is the street cube so thanks great vid and great Mr B version.
Is the Laney A Fresco 2 comparable with these amps?
Can anyone enlighten please?
Roland makes excellent products in my opinion. I own a Roland Micro Cube that is probably 14 years old and it still sounds amazing. I especially love the Roland for playing my electric guitars on, for they have a really nice distortion and dsp effect registry built in usually. On the other hand, I more recently own a Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge and I am blown away by the clean sound of it. I play it mostly with a Taylor Acoustic Electric and sometimes plug in a mic, which also sounds amazing through this amp...Reverb and everything. Portability is great, I do think that the rechargeable is awesome as well, I hate buying batteries. It really all comes down to what you plug into these amps. I don't think the video here does it complete justice in choosing. Go to a music store, ask to try them all and use different guitars while trying them out!
There is also a 12V dc plug on that bad boy (The Loudbox mini charge), where you can jerry-rig any old 12V (gel cell etc) external battery in for double the playtime outside. All day long, make more than a stuffed-shirt guy riding a desk. It is all about clarity at volume to get people to hear what you can do!
That Mr Brightside cover was the most busker thing I’ve ever heard
Well, thanks. Not biased, but you hardly played the ACUS. And why would you play the older Roland Street Cube when the EX already is out? Maybe the 4th amp should have been the Bose S1 Pro (if out at that time), or the AER Compact Mobile? Still, thanks again. Does the ACUS have Bluetooth capability?
How long do the batteries last on the Fishman on medium volume?
Bose do a really great sounding one too. I thought the fishman sounded a bit tinny but great clarity. compared to the others.
it sounded like the brilliance was cranked up to overdrive on the street cube, are you sure the pre-amp knobs weren't all over the place? I just can't believe it sounded so bad compared to others, in real life you actually get a pretty good sound quality out of those, but it might be ear bias xD
I use the MicroCUBE GX for my guitar but my friend has a Yorkville EXM Mobile 60w PA that was ridiculous expensive but it destroys all of these for acoustic guitar and Mic.. Or just beatboxing. It's a Canadian company but they probably ship everywhere
Vocals sounded bad on any of them and by far not loud enough. Would it have been possible to get the vocals at least louder or was it already maximum volume? Thanks fot the testing, BTW.
Fishman is the best among those amps
Thanks for the video man!!! I've got the Roland Street Ex myself. I love it! Definitely has the best features and vocal settings. My only complaint is that it's not as loud as I had expected. If your doing just vocals and guitar then your fine, but when I add my drum simulator it doesn't hit the bass or mid notes like I would like. I'm considering swapping the speakers out or switching to the Loud box Mini.......not sure yet
Hey, did you ever switch amps? Tell me about it if you did please......
@@natewilkinson3279 so I got another Roland Street Ex and with them paired at full wattage it sounds pretty good. Works for a small bar or party but for the money you could buy a basic PA system with two 10” speakers and get a lot better sound quality. I ended up getting a pair of the Harbinger 10” powered monitors which sound amazing. Still keeping the Roland’s though cause there perfect for out at the lake and camping
Oh okay. That's cool. That's what I was afraid of with the street to because it's only 10 watts..... I mean I understand cuz you don't want it to be too damn loud to where you're getting kicked out of every spot you're trying to busk at but it's gotta be loud enough to at least feel like you're mic'd up an amped-up. Some amps are so underpowered you might as well just do it unplugged.... I really want to try both before I buy, just incase
Thank you for your info too
Wow that’s a really freaking jangly acoustic
It certainly sounds that way on the nastier cube amps. The Acus wins for me but needed balancing on the vocals here. The fishman 2nd but sits somewhere in the middle - you couldn't say that was great tone.. The Acus will give you some versatility - they sound really good with semi hollow electrics for example, and is tonally streets ahead.
I just wonder how you take videos without any noise or wind something like that
Did you ever have to change the battery on the Fishman?
Given Elwyn Smiles comment (and I wholeheartedly agree with the comment), I don't understand your statement at the end that you get what you pay for. When I googled the Acus the list price was $999, and the cover is $109. The Fishman, which I think sounded the best of the group, costs $529 (including a cover). The Cube EX costs $499 and the cover is $99. And finally, the smaller Cube costs $299. Unless the $999 for the Acus was off the wall wrong, I don't agree that "You get what you pay for". To my ears, the Cube EX was trash, as was the smaller Cube. But not only didn't the Acus sound twice as good as the Fishman, I don't think it sounded AS good. So no...a grand vs $529 is definitely NOT a case of you get what you pay for. It's a case of paying TWICE as much for something that doesn't even sound as good. Just my 2 pence.
I have the Fishman. It's better than good. I got it from Proaudiostar I think. It came with the padded carry case, car charger, mic stand and cable, and....what actually blew me away was the free mic that came with the bundle.... A Cad Live D90. It crushed my Shure and Sennheiser mics. I paid around $400 when it was on sale
Yep - I think there might be a slight European bias towards the ACUS - it was not nearly as well rounded nor strong as the Fishman
@@leeasbury7273 I paid 575.00 including tax for my Fishman mini,just 2 weeks ago. I could not be happier (well unless it handled electric guitar also) Amps that try to be best at everything fail. The Fishman mini is for acoustic instruments. If you want to play your "Strat" on the street get a electric guitar specific amp. Oh every amp works/sounds better up off the ground on a stand (tie that mini down with a strap)
Maybe I missed something, but you did not tell is the EQ setting on each amp, which changes everything. Other than that, good video!
Well, was going to buy a Street Cube, off this I would say it was not the best😕 For me it would be Fishman followed by the Street Cude EX . I am not good at guitar or singing but going to “perform” next year (special Birthday) Which would give the best little help ?
My actual pro playing busker friends swear by the EX for many more reasons than explained here. I have one on the way myself. Hope that helps. It is pricey but has a ton more features, and he did not tell us his amp setting for this review.
Clear Adventure Thanks for getting back to me, good luck with the EX 👍
I preferred the Acus. Deep, warm and balanced tone. I like the fishman second, nice, deep and open but too trebly for my taste.
This video showed me that purchasing the roland cube was the right choice. The fishman amp sounded a little muffled the black amp sounded a little clustered. For the roland cube amp i can see why some comments were made. When i first got my amp i thought it sounded a little muddy too but then realized if i lowered the treble and midi it will sound a little more brighter on the guitar input side and when playing clear sound effects it wont sound distorted. As for mic input side just turn the treble down and it will sound brighter when playing guitar on that. I dont know how the mic would sound to that cus i dont sing i let my guitar do that as ive been told playing at the wal mart parking lot that when i playi make it sing.
I was looking at the Fishman, but when I discovered Acus, I ran out and bought it. It sounds A M A Z I N G.
Nice comparison test! I have for 2 years a Street Cube Ex and now I bought a Bose S1 Pro. Must say the Bose sounds way better than the Cube Ex. It's an excellent equipment for busking musicians.
It's difficult. We don't know the volumes used, eq settings and outputs, so it's hard to make an accurate judgment.
Based on that video though,the Fishman all day long.
😅😮
I bought a Joyo 40 watts, its great
What? No pignose?
You should mention exactly what kind of rechargeable batteries these amps use. This makes a big difference. Most amps use lead acid batteries and they are terrible for shelflife. They lose their charge very quickly with repeated use. I have to replace mine every two months. The only good battery is a lithium battery, and as far as I know Mackie is the only busking amp that uses one.
shatnershairpiece A Fishman tech told me the lead acid battery inside would last two years and was replaceable for about $50. They also told me not to run the battery down to zero, but instead to charge it up often to protect the batteries longevity.
My crate taxi has a sealed lead acid battery. It lasted for 10-15 years. Bought a new battery from local hardware store for $20. Now it's as good as new.
Yes Mr Bright Side classic!!!!!! You should do more covers
Thanks .I think that your review is uncompleted without an AER 60 street
The Roland Ex had a more fuller sound I'm sold I'm gonna buy two EX s
No zt?
I agree with Rubens Costa Junior below. I have the Fishman Mini Charge and the Roland Street cube EX. Both sound good, but the Bose S1Pro sounds better, and is easy to carry. It only needs a built in looper, like the Boss Acoustic Singers.
Please help me, i don't know if to buy bose s1 pro, street cube ex or Acus...
I need it for acustic guitar fingerstyle! 🙏
@@matteo31149 I don't have the ACUS, but would think it's as good as the S1 Pro if you get the 5 or 6 model. The Street Cube EX has been good, esp for the price and ahead of its time with rechargeable batteries, but think Bose and ACUS are slightly better for acoustics and newer. I also have the Fender Acoustic SFX, but would look at the new SFX 2.
@@reydelagarza2953 is very difficult choise... mmmmmmmh.. i'm looking for a Yamaha Ac5R made Japan... TOP !!!!
Waiting on my Roland Cube Street Ex to get here second hand off Reverb.. After seeing this video I'm glad I when for a second hand EX, then a new smaller Cube.. The smaller Cube sounded the worst, with the other three being close, by I would give the win to the fishman.....Thankyou the video..
Need a electric guitar demo. I know both Roland Street Cubes are great for both electric and acoustic guitars. Always best to have amps for instruments and PA speakers for vocals.
Any tips for someone who wants to play a distorted electric guitar?
Peavy Micro-Spyder = Death By Distortion.
for busking, street ex. If you dont need a battery powered amp there are much better amps out there.
In my opinion, the Fishman is the better balanced in terms of all round sound quality. If your budget runs to it, its the clear choice, my personal opinion of course !
That Fishman is worth every dime. Great instrumental tone and amazing vocal clarity plus the most balanced delivery. I was surprised that the Acus did so poorly. Not really Interested in the other two and having to keep buying new batteries. Just not practical.
Not to muddy up the waters but after having owned and played through an AER compact mobile for four months I can not recommend it highly enough. Yes, it is more expensive compared to the units sampled in this video. But after taking into consideration that I have bought both of the roland units, that are now sitting unused in a closet, I definitely wish I would have spent the money on an AER in the beginning. And by the way I am in no way affiliated with AER other than being an extremely satisfied customer. Perhaps a little something to think about? Peace.
Agreed ,but AER cost a fortune.
Fishman Loudbox....👌👌👌 big difference!
Fishman and the cheaper Street Cube sounded the best
Fishman 2:06
Acus 2:35
Roland CUBE Street Ex 3:12
Roland street 3:33
Fishman definitely
Id say the Loudbox Mini Charge had the best Accoustic Guitar sound here, but the Vocal mixing was far too muffled. The Cheepo option sounded tinny as hell, so not for me. The Street Mini was very tinny too but mixed vocals well and does have good projection for a busking scenario. The StreetX was a bit louder with equal mix of guitar and vocals, but sounded a bit 'choked' for my liking.
It's not a shootout if you don't pull the trigger.
The red street cube sound broken
Acus sounds amazing!
Id just get the cheap street cube just due to not having to worry if I ever got robbed (which has happened to fellow busker friends of mine )
About robbery. I would like to see some manufacture installed electronics that would allow you to disable the amp via smartphone if the amp was stolen. I tie a rope to my mini and my pants belt.
How noone mentioned that Roland can do electric too???
Fishman absolutely destroys the others.
Like for mr bright side 🤘
Any opinion on the alto Uber PA
I have an Alto Uber PA. Looks good on paper. Sounds like crap and has poor volume.
@@msenecal
Thanks. I ended up going with the Bose S 1. It’s brilliant. Highly recommend.
This was not a very good side by side comparison. We have know way of knowing how they where dialed in. Where the settings on all 4 the same?
I had the Asus and it doesn't play any louder than I can talk ! What good is a amplifier if it can't be heard no more than a few feet away ? I had to send the Asus all the way back to Germany and lost almost 40% of what I paid for it just for shipping and handling to a foreign country !
the fishman and EX BOTH SOUND OK
Where’s the ac33
Should have recorded thru a phone coz lwhen busking people whould record thru camera phones. Doing it thru a camera phone be like a real life scenario
right!
Roland EX seems too trebley to my ears. Fishman seems more balanced and the best of the four examples. Boss Katana Mini has a good tone and sound like its bigger cousins but sadly it does not have a xlr input and it is only 7w. Roland Street is between EX and Fishman. The other one seems it has more bottom. The one i like the best but i do not currently own nor is in this comparrison is the Orange Acoustic 30. In theory you do get what you pay for. In general when you go cheap you end up paying twice. However it is not always a hard and fast rule. There are those rare times you do find rare jems in the less expensive economy section. For example Gibson and Fender are name brands with a rich history and are not really cheap. But, even they can put out crap. Or have builds of poor quality that get past quality control. Harley Benton is not a big name like Roland/Boss but its rechargeable 60 watt acoustic amplifier is pretty good and feature packed.
AER amp FOREVERMORE!!!
Thought I'd get an OPINION on these... it's IMPOSSIBLE to determine sound quality on a hasty YT video.
"it's IMPOSSIBLE to determine sound quality on a hasty YT video."
That's nonsense. They're using a Zoom field recorder, whose purpose is to be neutral. If you can't tell the difference between, say, the Fishman and the Cube, you just have shitty ears.
@@ReductioAdAbsurdum
DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL TO GET STUPID?? In your utter ignorance, that's like saying you can experience the full audio reproduction of a symphony orchestra by listening it through a Mac Airbook, by which I am listening your you idiotic speaker comparisons. If your audio experience was as great as the empty space between your ears, you'd be Einstein. You aren't.
I have the Acus - it's in a different league from the Roland street ex(I had it and sold it - it wasn't bad but acoustic guitar sound was a bit iffy tbh) I also had the aer compact mobile for 20 years - I used to think it was the benchmark and I suppose it was when I got it but compared to the Acus, it sounds far too middy and boxy. The Acus has a superb rounded sound and the bottom end is what I was missing from the others I mentioned as well as the Fishman that I tested in Thomann. The only downside of Acus is the weight but it's worth the physical workout :-), believe me!!
I made the same move to an Acus when I actually bothered to research portable street amps in detail. New, the Rolands are massively overpriced for what I expect is pretty cheap components-they trade on being the best-known so one street performer copies what they've seen another using. That said, my used Street EX didn't sound BAD like the Rolands do here. I wonder if something went wrong?
Hi Nicholas, I actually did own the Acus One For Street ! But according to my fans and audience on one of the busiest streets in Vancouver Washington, they could not hear me when I was using the Acus at full volume, and they were constantly pointing to their ears and letting me know the volume was not loud enough !
Finally I purchased a Carvin s600b which in my personal opinion sounds every bit as good as the Acus, plus it projects close to 10 times further, and it is at least two or three times louder !
Nicholas, I'm glad you're happy with the Acus Street, but I want to warn anyone who needs an amplifier for a noisy or loud environment, the Asus Street would be a waste of your time time and your money !
FYI, I am not your everyday street performer, I have owned and used more amplifiers than anyone ever should, and as a male singer I have between a 5 and 6 octave vocal range and I take my art very seriously.
I don't want to see people wasting their money on an amplifier that does not protect well and is not very loud !
IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW GOOD AN AMPIIFIER SOUNDS IF IT IS NOT LOUD ENOUGH ! If your amplifier is not loud enough you will either disappoint your audience or you won't have an audience ! Plus you would have wasted several hundred dollars.
God bless you and take care....
@@Mr23GB It totally depends on needs and location. Some people will just need a bit of a lift to their unamplified sound, others need to get more into 'portable PA' territory like, say, the Bose system.
@@Mr23GBNicolas without the'h' btw.. Anyway, for normal busking, where the streets aren't so full, the Acus is more than enough. I have a smoky kind of voice and it comes through just as I like it. For larger street festivals, I use the Bose l1 compact with battery and inverter and a small mixer. My 'fans ' haven't complained about the sound and a few days ago we sold nearly 200 CDs in Regensburg, Germany. But thanks for the tip chum!
Fishman domination
The Acus is superior, what you hear with that distance miking is pretty much the way you'd hear it on street. And it sounds full and rich.
I had the Asus and it doesn't play any louder than I can talk ! What good is in amplifier if it can't be heard no more than a few feet away ? I had to send the Asus all the way back to Germany and lost almost 40% of what I paid for it just for shipping and handling !
@@Mr23GB Asus or Acus? I have the Acus one for Street and it's as loud and as warm as Hell. ou must be referring to something else or you're trolling....I have an AER compact mobile that I used for years but this Acus blows it away...
@@nizman1000 Agreed!
Fishman by far the nicest sound. Both Roland's sound terrible
But that's because he didn't have the Roland AC-33 or AC-60. I agree the Roland Cube's sound too harsh and trebly, but the AC models produce a fantastic natural sound.
Preferred the sound of the Roland amps! Must admit to touch of bias - I have one of the original Micro Cubes and it’s still a dream.
Lol at all the different opinions. To me the EX sounds warmer.
Bloody fender T shirt
Cmon. The mic was so poorly EQ’ed it seemed a bit biased to me. I have heard the x sound a lot better than that. And no I don’t have one. This is way sus.
fishman, man!